


Waiting For You

by misssophiachase



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Crimes & Criminals, Detectives, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Forbidden Love, Murder, Mutual Pining, Organized Crime, Police, References to Drugs, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:07:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29157879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misssophiachase/pseuds/misssophiachase
Summary: Detectives Klaus Mikaelson and Caroline Forbes are forced to work together on an organised crime case. Given their growing attraction and close proximity solving a murder is the least of their problems.
Relationships: Caroline Forbes/Klaus Mikaelson
Comments: 21
Kudos: 43
Collections: Klaroline Winter Gift Exchange 2021





	Waiting For You

**Author's Note:**

  * For [klarolineagainnaturally](https://archiveofourown.org/users/klarolineagainnaturally/gifts).



> Happy Winter Gift Exchange! I hope you like this drabble and that it fills you with plenty of warmth on a cold winter's day xxx

**{Caroline}**

_**Monday - 6:30am** _

“Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep...”

“Urgh,” Caroline groaned, her eyes still firmly shut as she attempted to feel around the bedside table to stop the incessant ringing. Given she’d only fallen into bed three hours ago, it was way too early for an unwanted wake-up call.

With one final push, she managed to stop the beeping but in the process activated the radio, the volume of which was painfully loud. That combined with the light peeking in through a crack in the curtains confirmed she was now wide awake.

Turns out even the radio newsreader was reminding her of work.

_“The New York Police Department say that the circumstances surrounding the death of the unidentified, male body recovered on the Hudson River at New York Harbor on Friday evening are still being investigated.”_

Yes, they are, she thought, given it was her newly assigned case but she didn’t really want to hear about it first thing in the morning.

She’d worked all weekend, in fact she’d forgotten what one of those two day things looked like. Being a detective was an honour but it was also long hours, low pay and possessed an ability to seriously cramp her social life. Who was she kidding? Caroline had no social life and even if she didn’t know that, her best friend Katherine was around to tell her that repeatedly. Who needed a social life when you were one of New York’s finest? That’s what she told herself to justify the fact she hadn’t had a date or sex in more time than she’d like to admit.

She begrudgingly crawled out of her bed, the cold hitting her with blunt force as she headed towards the bathroom looking forward to a hot shower.

Then she heard it and stopped in her tracks. The unmistakable sound of running water.

He’d gone too far this time.

Caroline was in two minds about whether to brandish her weapon or not. He’d deserve it if she did. But that would also be against the code and deemed excessive force. It was a pity, given he was clearly trespassing and seemed to be using her much-needed hot water.

Caroline threw on a nearby robe and proceeded to the bathroom, fully determined to scare him even if she couldn’t legally shoot him. She placed her hand on the door knob, turning it slowly then forcefully pushing it open as soon as the lock clicked.

“I’m armed and not afraid to shoot.”

“Says the police officer who didn’t hear me coming,” he laughed, his voice echoing around the room. “I should get some sort of reward for being so stealth.”

“I only went to sleep a few hours ago so excuse me if I was a bit out of it,” she growled defensively. Yes, she was a perfectly competent police officer but it had been a big couple of days to say the least.

“Look, that’s what you get for giving me a key in the first place.”

“That was purely for emergencies. You know like picking up my mail and watering my plants when I’m out of town, not skulking into my apartment to take a shower.”

“Okay, number one, you don’t have any plants to water because you kill them and, number two, if you’re going to give me a key, of course I’m going to use it to open the door, darling.”

“Speaking of opening things,” she threatened, grabbing onto the shower curtain. That would serve him right for stealing her utilities. “How about if you agree to get out right now I promise not to open this shower curtain or arrest you?”

Caroline stopped short of telling him that if he had, in fact, used all her hot water she was seriously considering taking him down to the station and pressing charges.

“Now, is that any way to treat your charming neighbour?”

“The jury is still out on charming and the fact you are my neighbour is an unfortunate coincidence.”

Kol Mikaelson had moved in across the hall six months earlier and had wasted no time in making his presence known. Caroline had decided he was like an annoying younger brother early on but he’d become a regular visitor nonetheless.

“Get out already!”

“I know what this is, Forbes, a shameless attempt to see me naked,” he chuckled.

“You tell yourself that if it helps you sleep at night, now get out of my damn shower. Last time I checked you had one of your own, Mikaelson.”

“Until my domineering brother decided to turn up unexpectedly last night and use all my hot water this morning.”

Brother? Of course she knew he had siblings but, for the large part, Kol barely spoke about his family. Caroline assumed there was a reason why so didn’t push it. She also had one of those families she chose not to talk about so could relate.

She wouldn’t admit it to his face but Caroline had a relatively small circle of friends due to her work schedule and spending time with her neighbour was sometimes what she needed after a shift just to laugh and take her mind of the heavy nature of her chosen profession. Kol was a stockbroker on Wall Street so could definitely relate to work pressures.

“So, you decided to return his favour onto me. Now why doesn’t that seem fair given I’m an unsuspecting and completely separate third party in this situation?”

“Huh?” He asked, his confusion evident. Caroline chose that precise moment to turn on the sink faucet, hoping a little cold water would eject him from her shower and her apartment, well at least until the next trespassing scenario.

“Carolineeeee!” He wailed, huffing and puffing and finally shutting off the water. It was only what she wanted him to do for the past five minutes.

“You deserved it,” she shot back. “If you're not gone in two minutes, I will get my gun and that is a promise.”

_**8:15am** _

Although it was not her preferred way of starting the day, Caroline decided to try and remain optimistic and hope it improved.

That was until her neighbour used all the hot water and, as it turned out, ate all her cereal and, to top it all off, her coffee machine decided today was a great day to malfunction. Already running late, she’d barely made it out of her apartment given sugar and caffeine were usually the only two motivations to do so. Naturally that meant she needed both before work.

Unfortunately, the line-up at Starbucks on Pearl Street was only confirming her theory. To kill time, Caroline scrolled through her phone checking through the latest news blogs, a regular habit she’d developed given her job.

“Excuse me, are you ‘So Divine?’ Double shot, extra hot, skinny cappuccino”

She looked up from her cell at the fifteen year-old barista who was smirking at her while pushing a coffee cup bearing the same name her way. Was this how teenagers tried to pick up these days?

“It’s actually Caroline,” she muttered quietly, by way of response. “And don’t make me have to come back here and arrest you for harassing the customers, okay?”

Given his ashen face, Caroline figured her message was received. Okay, maybe it was unnecessary and harsh but she’d had a morning. Never had she threatened to arrest two people this early in the day, it must have been a record.

It was only when she was riding the elevator at headquarters her phone beeped with a news alert from the _New York Post_.

_“Unnamed sources report that identifying tattoos found on the body discovered on New York Harbor this past Friday link the victim to a well-known British crime syndicate. The NYPD has refused to comment on the revelations. Stay tuned for more information on this unfolding story."_

There was even a picture, albeit grainy, from the crime scene denoting the tattoo in question.

This wasn’t good. At all.

Caroline had worked her way up in the NYPD ranks and had shown such promise as a detective that she was recently seconded to the Department’s Organised Crime Control Bureau. The Bureau worked largely under the radar and, at times, in tandem with the FBI or similar international organisations on high profile cases involving organised crime, narcotics, firearms and gang related activity.

Organised crime was rife in the city and its reach and influence into and over law enforcement circles was an unfortunate reality. The Bureau’s aim was not only to investigate but to stamp out this type of corruption. Therefore, confidentiality was vital and leaks like this were detrimental to their cause.

This wasn’t the first leak they’d had and Caroline knew it probably wouldn’t be the last but it was concerning given the nature and severity of the crime. What she did know for sure was that her captain was going to be ropable. The same guy she was unfortunately due to see in a few minutes.

She was so preoccupied by the leak and her Captain’s ensuing mood that Caroline wasn’t expecting the lift to stop so abruptly. But she was and it did and now she had hot coffee all over her clean, white shirt.

“Mother chucker,” she hissed, trying to remain calm even though the hot liquid was seeping through her shirt at a rapid pace.

Caroline consulted her watch, she was already five minutes late but she needed to get to the restroom and clean up first.

She was making her way in that direction when her best friend Katherine approached from the other end of the corridor. Dressed in a navy skirt and jacket combination, her glossy tresses tied back in a ponytail, Katherine was always flawless and today was no exception. She was one of the NYPD’s top forensic psychologists and while her office was uptown she spent a fair amount of time in their headquarters consulting on cases.

“What the hell happened to you?”

“No, hello? How are you, best friend?”

“Fine. Hello there, best friend. But I don’t need to ask how you’re doing because I can see it in that tense body language, that snarky greeting, not to mention all over your face and on that shirt.”

“As much as I’d love to stay and be psycho-analysed, Dr Pierce, I’m running late for a meeting with Enzo and we both know how he can get.”

“Says the girl who demanded a more lengthy greeting,” she teased. “Fine, let’s catch up later and I want to hear all about it, right after you’ve soaked that shirt. We also need to talk about that English fox with the crimson lips I just passed in the hall.”

If she had more time Caroline would attempt to unpack that rather confusing and cluttered sentence. She felt bad she was so short with Kat but another look at her watch told Caroline she was now nine minutes late and had no time for the restroom.

She buttoned up her fitted, black jacket hoping that much of the stain would be trapped beneath and out of sight. It didn’t take long for her presence to be known as she entered the room and five sets of eyes were immediately trained on her.

“Detective Forbes, nice of you to join us this century,” Enzo growled, glowering in her direction. “I hope we weren’t keeping you from more important things like washing your hair.”

Caroline was annoyed by his predictable choice of words but also glad that at least her blonde waves were looking good, unlike her shirt.

Enzo was an imposing boss at the best of times but Caroline had learnt that his bark was worse than his bite especially after she bought him one of Katz Deli’s famous pastrami sandwiches. She’d just get him one later and all would be forgiven or so she hoped.

“No Captain,” she replied curtly. “I promise it won’t happen again.”

“Well, it’s too late for that, Forbes,” he barked. “Go and wait in my office.”

“But Captain...”

“What have I said to you about speaking back to me, Forbes?” Not to do it she thought but decided not to verbalise that. Caroline could tell by the look on his face he meant business and she thought she woke up on the wrong side of the bed. “Go. Now!”

Caroline wondered if she had time to fix her stained shirt but given his direct order and tone she decided it was probably wise to head straight to his office.

Forget being optimistic that her day would miraculously improve, that ship had well and truly sailed.

Lexi, Enzo’s personal assistant, rolled her eyes knowingly before shepherding her into his office. How much trouble was she in? It was only once she’d closed the door behind her that Caroline realised she wasn’t alone.

The first thing she noticed was the dark blonde hair curling over his ears, then the blue eyes the colour of storm clouds followed by a pair of enticing, crimson lips and a perfectly stubbled five o’clock shadow. That teamed with jeans and the fitted, blue shirt that was effortlessly rolled up to his elbows completed the look.

This stranger was gorgeous, well until he shot her a look of complete indifference, almost as if to ask ‘what are you doing here?’ Maybe he wasn’t that attractive after all.

But she couldn’t ignore that he did smell good. Really good, like sandalwood and spices. Oh no, had she really been studying him all that time? Before she could back out of the room so as to completely avoid embarrassment, he spoke.

“You know you have coffee on your shirt, right?”

British fox with the crimson lips.

Now, she understood what Kat was talking about. Trust her to sniff out the new, hot guy, even if he was arrogant and downright rude.

“That’s really the first thing you’re going to say to me?”

“It’s a perfectly correct observation, if anything I thought you might appreciate some honesty.”

“Well, thank you,” she muttered, thinking she was anything but thankful. “But I’m already well aware of that fact, I am a detective so it’s my job to notice things like that. Not that it’s any of your business but I was running late to work.”

“Because you spilled coffee on yourself?”

“It actually started with my neighbour,” she explained, not bothering to think about why she was oversharing to a complete stranger. “He came into my apartment to use my shower.”

“He has a key?”

“For emergencies mainly.”

“And this was an emergency?”

“Apparently.”

“So, you two are…”

“No, it’s not like that,” she shot back. “He’s more of a stray dog that needs some guidance and attention, also food given he eats all of mine and...”

“And hot water it seems too.” His jaw twitched, like he was trying not to smile until a stray dimple appeared in his left cheek. That she wasn’t expecting and it was unsettling her to say the least. “Look I understand, we all need to do our part to protect the environment and conserve water.”

“He was showering on his own, I only went in there to…” he leaned forward in the seat, his interest clearly piqued, “tell him to get out. Apparently his last-minute house guest stole all the hot water.”

“A likely story,” he murmured, cocking his left eyebrow. “And you call yourself a detective.”

“Why am I even bothering if you’re just going to mock me?”

“I apologise, please continue.”

Why did she feel like she was being interrogated? Why she also felt the need to share it with him in the first place was a mystery. She decided to blame it on the fact that she was lacking pretty much every creature comfort to make her act like a normal human being this morning.

“There’s not much else to say, he left and I had to take a cold shower. Then he’d eaten all my cereal, my coffee machine was broken and so I had to go to Starbucks.”

“I see that,” he gestured to the cup in her hand. “So Divine? That’s your name? Funny I never took you for a So Divine.”

“Yeah, you got me, I totally wrote that myself,” she growled in frustration. “Anyway, what are you doing here, you know besides interrogating me?”

“Well, you did offer up the information in the first place, I was merely entertaining myself until Captain St John returns.”

“I'm glad I could entertain you,” she scowled, taking the seat beside him and crossing her arms over her chest defensively. Who the hell did this guy think he was? She figured it was just as easy to ask.

“Who are you?” Before he could respond, the door clicked open and Enzo entered and took a seat behind the expansive desk.

“I see you two are getting to know each other which is good because you’ll be working together on this case and I don’t have time for formalities.”

“Some more than others,” Klaus quipped under his breath.

This insufferable guy, albeit attractive, was working with her? This was so not happening. Did she just tell him about her disastrous morning without checking who he was first? Unfortunately, that was an embarrassing yes.

“Well, to be honest, Captain,” Caroline began, thinking she knew absolutely nothing about him except for being a smug, smart ass.

“You’re still in my bad books for that tardy entrance, Forbes, don’t test me and don’t talk either.” She could hear a quiet but telling snigger from the guy to her left.

“I…”, Enzo shot her down with one glance.

Clearly it was going to be that kind of conversation. The one-sided type.

He passed them both a manila folder each. She opened hers noting the multiple shots of the crime scene, the body and an autopsy report.

“As you’re both already aware our John Doe has been identified as Thomas George Adams from the Clerkenwell Crime Syndicate, one that Scotland Yard knows all too well and why they have sent one of their own to assist in this case,” Enzo nodded in his direction. “The autopsy report has confirmed what we already suspected, one fatal shot to the head at point blank range. The victim was dead before his body was dumped in the Hudson. So, what does that all add up to, Forbes?”

“A contract killing,” she replied.

“Yes and what do we know about the Clerkenwell Syndicate?”

Before Crimson Fox (something she decided to name him given she didn’t know his actual name) could interrupt, she spoke. Caroline always liked to be prepared and had no intention of letting him show her up.

“The syndicate’s involvement in drug trafficking is well known, they have operations and partners from Ireland to Colombia. So, the fact that their attention has extended to the US is not altogether unexpected.” She felt him shift in his chair before adding his thoughts to the conversation.

“There’s been murmurings for some time in England that the family had their eye on the US because it’s so lucrative, especially when you have the Gambino family and their market share, which we all know is second to none in the Northern Hemisphere.”

“Until something went wrong...”

“And now you don’t just have one underworld family implicated in this case but two,” he finished.

“A case I thought we had somewhat under control until the _New York Post_ ruined my morning. Someone on the inside is leaking like a sieve and we all know what that means,” Enzo muttered, taking a protracted sip from his coffee cup before continuing. “The more media attention this draws, the more it slows this investigation. It also means I’m going to have every New Yorker clogging up the crime hotline with bogus theories about tattoo designs and don’t even get me started on the calls I’m going to be receiving from the Governor and Mayor about how this leak will only serve to stoke public fear about organised crime wars.”

Caroline’s phone beeped loudly interrupting the moment. She only needed to look at Enzo’s unimpressed expression to know it wasn’t the best timing. Given the tone, she knew it was another notification, she just hoped it wasn’t about their case. Unable to stop herself from checking, Caroline’s eyes flickered down and what she read Enzo wasn’t going to like one bit.

“So, what is the assignment, Captain?” His crisp, English accent was rich and enticing but Caroline realised she probably wasn’t supposed to be thinking that given it wasn’t very professional.

“I, uh, think there’s something you need to see first, Captain,” Caroline interrupted, noting Crimson Fox’s look of disdain in the process. “Another tip has leaked.”

“What does it say?”

_“Sources close to the New York Harbor investigation believe the British crime syndicate member was the victim of a contract killing.”_

“Why don’t we just tell them what I ate for breakfast this morning too?”

“Not sure they’d be too interested in that,” Caroline shot back, unable to help herself. Another telling but muffled laugh from her partner followed. Enzo, meanwhile, wasn’t amused.

“You asked for your assignment? There is too much attention on this case which is no doubt the grand plan to compromise this investigation. We need to work smarter, quicker and quieter but also effectively and that is where you two come in.”

_**9:30pm** _

“Kol!” Caroline called out from her doorway. Usually she didn’t need to knock because he’d just appear. But tonight there was nothing.

Just her luck. Kat had a date, not surprisingly, and Caroline needed to vent, even if it was to the hot water and breakfast cereal stealer.

Her day had started out terribly and nothing had gone right since. From the coffee spillage to the media leaks to her amended assignment and finally to him. Her attractive but smug new partner.

“Kol?” Caroline knocked on his door, then turned the handle noticing that it was open.

She made a mental note to speak to him about personal safety and walked inside. Although, if he could make himself at home she could do the same. Caroline heard the shower running, thinking how fitting it seemed to finish her day the way it started, even if it was in reverse.

She eyed the tequila bottle sitting enticingly on his shelf thinking it might be a good way to pass the time and Kol would most definitely partake from experience. Caroline felt like she’d earned it after her day.

She was completely oblivious as she busied herself with the glasses and sourcing some lime wedges to chop while also singing aloud. It was a habit she’d developed when she was a child to combat her fear of silence.

_And I hope you know that I want you...I've been sitting here waiting...I've been waiting for you_

“Does our assignment include some kind of domestic preparation I didn’t know about?”

She knew that voice unfortunately all too well. Caroline looked up into a pair of familiar, blue eyes. Although, they weren’t the only things that caught her attention.

“You’re wearing no clothes,” she accidentally bit out, trying to ignore his toned chest and sculpted abs. There was a white towel too, hanging low on his hips but that didn’t rate a mention given she was fixated on the few stray water droplets running down his chest and trying not to imagine what she wanted to do with them and him in the process.

“And you’re wearing bunny slippers, but I’ll let that slide,” he offered, that annoying dimple making an appearance. She figured crossing the hall didn’t require much more than her slippers, skinny jeans and a white tank. “You’re also breaking and entering and given your supposed profession I’m a little concerned.”

“I’m breaking and entering?” She baulked, remembering why she didn’t like the guy. “What about you?”

“I live here.”

“No, Kol lives here.”

“Wait a minute, how do you know my brother? Oh, I see, are you…..together?”

“No,” she growled, thinking just how inappropriate that sounded about her almost brother. “He happens to be my neighbour, not that it’s any of your business.”

“Ah, the stray dog who stole your hot water this morning, it’s all starting to make sense.”

“So, I guess that would make you the domineering brother who used his hot water forcing him to come steal mine, unbelievable,” she hissed. “Which means my bad day is all your fault!”

“Someone is being a little melodramatic. Last time I checked I didn’t make you spill that coffee, So Divine.”

“Fantastic,” she grumbled. “I can’t believe I have to work with someone like you.”

“Someone like me, what is that supposed to mean? You’re no picnic yourself, sweetheart.”

“What is going on here?” Caroline shifted her glance to the door noticing her neighbour staring at them both in shock. “I just went out for some milk and now you two are…”

“No!”

“Ew!”

“Yeah, that definitely clears it up for me,” he teased. “Niklaus, please, would some clothes hurt? And, Care Bear, I really thought you had better taste in men.”

**{Klaus}**

_**Monday, 1:50am** _

“Do you always fidget like that? Can’t you sit still”

“Excuse me, I didn’t realise you were the fidget police as well as the fun police,” she huffed into the darkness. “We’ve been sitting in this car for over eight hours, excuse me if I need to stretch.”

“Says the girl who’s had an exorbitant amount of toilet breaks.”

“I have a small bladder, so sue me,” she muttered. “It doesn’t help that we’ve been staking out this lead for almost three weeks now and nothing.”

“Well…”

“If you tell me I need to have patience then I might just stab you with that playlist you call music.”

“So, I like Journey, what’s wrong with that?”

“Well, it’s not The Aces or Mitski,” she reasoned. “Hang on, I don’t even need to make a comparison, it’s Journey. So, for the sake of my sanity, let’s not rehash this particular debate, it’s bad enough I have to be in an enclosed space with you for hours on end.”

This was his life, well for the past three weeks. Hours spent in a car with one Detective Caroline Forbes.

Beautiful and intelligent but also feisty, opinionated and a talker. In fact she didn’t stop talking for the most part, which meant he’d gotten to know her very well in the almost twenty-one days they’d been working together.

Caroline had a rabbit called Miffy when she was eight, hence the slippers. She loved food too. All kinds of food, she wasn’t fussy but Mexican was probably her favourite. She bemoaned her lack of spare time but played competition lacrosse and ice hockey when she had the chance. Klaus was secretly scared of what she could do with either of those sticks if provoked.

Being a specialist detective for the best part of ten years, Klaus was used to most situations but this one had thrown him for a loop. His job was as unpredictable as it was difficult but this was a whole other story. He didn’t usually have partners that were so intrinsically inquisitive, they just got on with the case.

He also never lived across the hall from his partner. A partner who happened to be friends with his brother, if that was all it was. When Klaus had spied her in his brother’s apartment looking so carefree and comfortable in those slippers he’d questioned their relationship. In fact, he’d felt a little disappointed when he thought she was in his apartment as anything more than a neighbour. Klaus decided to put that down to jet lag and hormones, even if she was his partner and a definite no-go zone.

“Well, the feeling is mutual, trust me,” he murmured, taking a sip of water. “The fact that we haven’t seen anything means they’ve gone underground and are clearly worried about drawing any untoward attention to themselves.”

“Well, wouldn’t you? Especially given our anonymous source felt the need to kindly leak out the name of the deceased. If the entire syndicate isn’t on US soil and out for retribution yet I’d be surprised.”

“They are enemies you don’t want, trust me,” Klaus whistled. He’d watched their dirty dealings from afar including drugs, murders, theft and paying off a few of his former colleagues to look the other way.

“Not that the Gambino Family are the Brady Bunch,” she joked. “Sometimes I have to do a double take about how my life turned out and led me here of all places.”

“So, do you like your job?” He asked. Klaus wasn’t sure where it came from, he figured her curiosity must have been contagious, but for some reason he wanted to know everything about her and it wasn’t like they didn’t have the time.

“I do, for the most part,” she murmured. “I mean Enzo can be a grouch but all I’ve ever wanted is to be a police officer, ever since I was six years-old.”

“Let me guess it was the hat?”

“Something like that,” she smiled knowingly. Klaus liked that smile, a lot. So much so that he couldn’t wait to see it again. “How about you?”

“My father was a police officer,” he shared. “So, I guess you could say it came with the territory.”

“I didn’t know your dad was a police officer, I mean Kol never mentioned it.”

For some reason every time she mentioned Kol, and it was a lot, Klaus felt a strange feeling come over him. Like he was almost jealous Caroline knew him first. It was ridiculous of course and he dismissed it every time until the feeling returned again.

“Mikael isn’t someone any of us talk about all that much, he, uh, died about seven years ago.”

“I’m sorry.” It was a nice sentiment but Klaus knew he wasn’t that sorry at all.

“It’s fine, really, I guess you could say that we didn’t see eye to eye.” Klaus decided that was probably the most diplomatic way of putting it given they were partners and also hadn’t known each other long. “So, you and Kol huh?”

Okay, it was a poor attempt to change the subject but he also had an ulterior motive for asking because he couldn’t help himself.

“Are we really going to go through this again?” She drawled, turning to face him, her blonde waves bouncing as she did it. “It’s not like that.”

“Says the girl whose shower he jumped into and who I caught in his kitchen happily singing in her bunny slippers,” he teased, remembering just how cute she looked. “I’ve just never known Kol to have any friends that are women. Actually scratch that, any friends period.”

“Is it so difficult to believe that a guy and girl can be just friends?”

“Yes.”

“So, by that very rapid and definitive response I assume you have no women that are just friends?”

“Of course not,” he replied confidently. Klaus mostly befriended women for one reason and once that was over so was their ‘friendship.’ “Anyway, I work too much to make many friends.”

“And here I thought it was just because of your charming personality.”

“Do you want me to play Journey again?”

Before she could object, Klaus saw a flash of movement in the rearview mirror. He put his fingers to his lips and sunk down lower in his seat hoping this was what they’d been waiting for after all this time.

_**6:20am** _

“If you get in that shower before me, I swear to god,” Kol huffed, blocking his entrance from the bathroom.

“I’ve been sitting in a car for about twelve hours…”

“And you definitely smell like it,” Kol quipped.

“Hence why I need to take a shower, little brother,” he insisted, attempting to get past. “You do realise I could take you, right?”

Klaus was in a good mood given they’d had their first real breakthrough in the murder investigation. They’d staked out the shipping yards for three weeks hoping to get a glimpse of the perpetrators and or the drugs. A business card found sewn into the lining of one of the deceased pockets had led them there to a specific container. Luckily their mystery media source didn’t know about that particular discovery.

Given they were trying to work quietly a search warrant was out of the question so a stakeout was their only option and luckily it had paid off. A group of four men had entered the container, only to drive out an hour later in a large truck. That truck had led them to their subsequent clue which headquarters were already investigating in anticipation of the next move.

“So, tell me about Caroline?” Being a detective and his sibling, Klaus knew this was his most blatant distraction method.

“She’s my partner, but that’s something you already know,” he shot back, eyeing off the shower which was within his grasp.

“So, that's all she is to you?” He prodded, his lips curving into a knowing smile while Klaus debated whether he should wipe it off his face.

“I know you don’t like rules and regulations very much, Kol, but us adults generally tend to stick to them,” he growled, probably a little too forcefully than anticipated.

“So, you do like her. I can tell because of that thing you do with your jaw.”

“What thing?” He asked, momentarily forgetting to downplay his reaction.

“It twitches, only slightly but it’s there,” he teased. “Look, Caroline is my friend and although she talks a lot…”

“Oh you mean like someone else I know?”

“Funny, Niklaus,” he bit back. “I’m just saying it’s okay if you like her. In fact...”

“I’m not interested, and even if I was, those no fraternisation penalties are severe,” Klaus interrupted, already tired of the conversation. If his brother wanted to talk about feelings he’d come to the wrong guy at the wrong time. He made an attempt to push him out of the way until Kol spoke again.

“I only say that because she basically told me she likes you too and I’m happy to give you both my blessing as long as I get naming rights for your first born." 

“She what?” Klaus asked, his indifferent demeanour now a thing of the past.

She liked him? That couldn’t be right given the way she constantly told him he was an arrogant smart ass. Kol took the opportunity to step backwards and barricade himself in the bathroom. Klaus couldn’t believe he’d fallen for that trick, he must have been getting old or stupid. Or both.

Funnily enough he didn’t mind missing out on the shower anywhere near as much as missing out on Caroline.

**{Caroline}**

_**Monday 7pm** _

“I have to say undercover costume and cocktail night is my favourite time of the month, who are you this time? Please say a dominatrix with an expensive coke habit and a hot biker boyfriend.”

“Where do you get this stuff? Maybe I need to revoke your streaming privileges.”

“Don’t you dare,” she chuckled. Katherine was a few margaritas deep so Caroline knew they were having the desired effect.

“Anyway, you know I can’t tell you that, Kitty Kat,” she offered from her bedroom, pulling down the dress and thinking just how restrictive the black fabric was and completely not her style. Although she was playing make believe so it made sense.

Caroline was currently test driving her outfit for their latest assignment in the murder investigation. The truck’s destination was at an art gallery in Brooklyn. Two weeks prior, they’d watched them unloading paintings and taking them into the gallery.

Shipping logs had confirmed the paintings’ journey from London to New York so they knew the drugs were hidden within them. However, they couldn’t confiscate them until they had a confession to convict, not just for the drug trafficking but the murder too.

That’s where their latest assignment had led them. Back to Brooklyn for an art exhibition at that very gallery and to plant a listening device. Easy, right?

Turns out the owner of the gallery was your typical misogynistic creep who liked pretty women in little dresses and Caroline had to play the part. Klaus insisted on going as her plus one in case things got out of hand. She said she’d be okay but both he and Enzo had refused.

“Wow!” Kat exclaimed, almost dropping her glass. “And I thought the call girl outfit was a winner. Now, tell me something, is that a dress or a belt?”

“Funny, Kat,” she muttered, helping herself to a much-needed cocktail. “The things I do for this job.”

“Just wait until the Crimson Fox sees you in this ensemble. Never mind the criminals, he’ll be the one who won’t be able to keep his paws off you.”

“We are partners, Kat, nothing more.”

“You’ve been saying that for over a month now, Care, I’m as unconvinced now as I was then,” she noted. “Not only is the man divine, he has it bad for you.”

“I’m sure Enzo would be pleased to hear that revelation.”

“We all know Enzo is a buzzkill and I’d rather talk about Hottie McHottie Detective who, by the way, is welcome to frisk me anytime, bonus points if he uses the handcuffs.”

“I’m cutting you off,” she threatened.

“Now’s who’s the buzzkill?”

“Well, well, what do we have here?” Caroline looked up into the surprised face of her neighbour. “Nah, I think the call girl one was better, darling. Oooh cocktails and my favourite shrink.”

“Looks like the stray dog has arrived, I knew I should have closed the door properly.”

“I have a key so it wouldn’t have made a difference.”

“I am so confiscating that,” Caroline groaned.

“Who’s to say I haven’t made copies? Including one for my brother.”

“Why does your brother need my apartment key?” Caroline wasn’t sure how she felt about that revelation or what he thought for that matter.

“You know, in case I can’t water your plants or something.”

“I thought I killed my plants?”

“Well, he doesn’t know that, does he? Plus, he told me he likes you and I was just fast forwarding to the inevitable key swap.”

He liked her? Surely not. Klaus was always telling her she talked too much and offered her opinion too much. In fact, ‘too much’ seemed to be his overarching issue. But for some reason, the fact he might like her buoyed Caroline more than expected.

“Only what I’ve been saying since the start,” Kat offered.

“Plus, it’s probably fair you have a key given you crept into my house a few weeks back, Forbes.”

“What exactly were you doing sneaking into casa de Mikaelson?” Kat asked, her interest obviously piqued.

“Well, I’m still not exactly sure what transpired,” Kol explained, taking a seat on the nearby couch and helping himself to a margarita. “But I walked in and he was practically naked and they were all hot and bothered about something.”

“Oh, I know what they were hot about,” Kat drawled. “You saw Crimson Fox naked and I have to hear it from him?”

“I wasn’t naked, in my defence. There was a towel involved. Hold on, who’s Crimson Fox?”

Oh no, of course he had to show up at that exact moment and she just happened to be wearing the tiniest dress on the planet. 

“Now, that’s a shame,” Kat replied. “If you’d like to give us a replay I’d be happy to watch and provide the requisite feedback.”

“Maybe you should cut her off,” Klaus suggested, his blue eyes finally meeting hers. It was only then he noticed the scrap of material she was kind of wearing.

His eyes darkened, his jaw tightened and Caroline wasn’t sure whether he was going to have his way with her or lock her up for safekeeping. She was trying to ignore the shivers he’d caused in one look but it was proving increasingly difficult.

“You’re not going out wearing that.”

“Why do I feel a sudden flashback to my sweet sixteen and my father vetoing my party dress?” Katherine asked, slightly oblivious to the impending argument thanks to the margarita buzz.

“You read the brief, Klaus, this is what’s needed for the assignment.”

“Well, I don’t care, there has to be another option,” he replied stubbornly. “You’re not bait that they can dangle like a piece of meat.”

“On the contrary, I am,” she shot back. “This is my job, last time I checked.”

“It’s too dangerous, Caroline. I can’t allow it.”

He didn’t call her Caroline much, so that’s when she knew he meant it. But she had no intention of backing down. How dare he treat her like some pathetic snowflake and tell her she couldn’t do something? Kol, clearly sensing she was about to erupt, attempted to ferry Kat out of the room who still seemed to be enjoying the show.

“There’s no need to leave, Kol,” Caroline said. “You brother here is the one who should be going. I don’t appreciate being told what to do, especially in my own apartment.”

“I’m only looking after…”

“You have some nerve, Mikaelson,” she growled. “I am not something for you to look after. I am your partner, your equal, but if you have a problem with that then maybe we shouldn’t be working together at all.”

Caroline didn’t even bother waiting for a reply, making her way to her bedroom for some much-needed space from his egotistical views. She didn’t think it would hurt that much, but it did. She felt the tears rolling down her cheeks before she’d even reached her bed. 

**{Klaus}**

**_10:40pm_ **

He was an idiot. Kol had already told him that numerous times, Katherine too, but it didn’t fully sink in until he was perched on Kol’s couch mindlessly watching television infomercials.

When he saw her in that poor excuse of a dress, Klaus wasn’t too sure what happened. One minute he was imagining how he’d rip it off, the next he was forbidding her from wearing it in public like some overbearing ass.

At home in London his partner at Scotland Yard, Lucien Castle, was very much male and not nearly as beautiful as Caroline Forbes. Not that it was an excuse for his behaviour, nothing could excuse that.

Klaus knew how incredibly strong and resilient Caroline was given he’d seen it first-hand on more than one occasion.

She was also amazing.

She was also his partner and off limits.

He was also pretty sure he was falling in love with her.

“Have you finally realised you’re an idiot?” Kol’s voice interrupted his quandary. He didn’t respond just acknowledged his question with a brief nod. “I love that girl and if you ever hurt her I will kill you.” Klaus gave him a look as if to say ‘not likely.’ “You know what I mean.”

“I do,” he conceded. “But I’m not sure what I can do given we work together.”

“Well, not sitting here and moping to infomercials might be a good start,” he offered. “Look, Caroline just texted. She’s downstairs in the laundry room, I suggest you go see her but don’t tell her I told you.”

“Why?”

“She cleans and does washing when she’s angry. Oh, who am I kidding? That girl cleans when she’s in every single mood, even happy. Can you imagine that?”

“How do you know she’s down there?”

“We usually do laundry together because we think it’s haunted but made an agreement that if we ever go alone we have to text each other just in case the ghost of this building decides to exact its revenge on the current tenants.”

“Lucky I’m not afraid of ghosts then, isn’t it?”

Five minutes and a basket of washing later, he was in the laundry room. Although she had her back to him, Klaus could see she was dressed in a cute pair of grey shorts and a pink tank, her blonde hair piled onto her head while she danced and sang. And he thought she looked adorable in the bunny slippers. 

_I know it's really bad, bad, bad, bad, bad...Messin' with my head, head, head, head, head...We drive each other mad, mad, mad, mad, mad...But baby, that's what makes us good in bed._

Hopefully she was imagining them in bed and no one else. He shook his head realising that sort of thinking was extremely counterproductive to his current predicament.

“You have a great voice,” he offered, trying to find a way to break the ice. She turned around, clearly surprised by his appearance downstairs. “Please don’t stop on my account."

“That’s the last time I tell Kol anything,” she muttered, choosing to ignore his comment.

“Well, I wouldn’t want you to be attacked by a ghost or anything.”

“Kol is the one who’s scared of ghosts, I do this text exchange thing to humour him,” she explained.

Klaus had always been somewhat jealous of what Caroline and Kol shared but he'd come to realise how protective they were of each other, just like they were actually brother and sister and it was heartwarming to see. 

"Oh, I was wondering if you were singing to scare the ghosts away." 

“I sing because I don’t like silence.”

“Is that why you talk so much?” He asked curiously, she didn't reply and Klaus knew he was right. “Now our time on the stakeout is starting to make so much sense and why I know your pet rabbit's name and a multitude of other interesting facts about Caroline Forbes.”

“It’s a nervous condition, it started when I was six."

"What happened?" He asked curiously. Up until this point, Klaus realised he knew a lot of small things about her but nothing big picture. She seemed reluctant to speak at first, fiddling with pieces of clothing and busying herself by sitting atop the washing machine. "If you don't want to..."

"My parents died in a car accident," she murmured. "I was staying with my grandmother and the doorbell rang. I ran to get it, my grandmother following close behind thinking it was them. But it wasn't, instead there was a police officer at the door. I was entranced, she looked so impressive in her uniform. There was a lot of crying, most of which I didn't understand but the thing I remembered most was when the police officer bent down and put her hands on my shoulders. She told me I was a brave, little girl. Then she let me wear her hat. I thought she was an angel or something."

"That explains the chosen career path," he said warmly. 

"I sort of retreated back into my shell for a while and what frightened me most was the silence. I'm okay today obviously, but every now and again I need to talk, sometimes a lot, or sing."

"I never didn't like your talking, love," he shared, moving closer, so that her legs were almost touching his. "In fact, every night when I get home I miss hearing the sound of your voice, not to mention all of your anecdotes."

"If this is your way of trying to be nice after you acted like an idiot it isn't completely working."

"I know," he conceded. "I was an idiot and if I hadn't figured that out on my own I had plenty of people to tell me. My father wasn't the best parent or husband, yes he was a police officer but he used that as an excuse and considered himself above the law. So, I decided when I was old enough I'd join the academy and become a policeman worthy of the office to make my family proud again."

"I like that reason," she smiled.

His favourite smile. 

"But, as you know, police work is tough and it's time consuming and you tend to forget what's important. I didn't have much time for anyone or anything outside of the job. Until I travelled to America and met this outspoken detective who challenged everything I believed."

"Is that right?"

"We spent a lot of time together, talked more than I'd ever talked with anyone in my life. Yes, there was the arguing and the name calling and the musical insults but I realised just how much I wanted to be there in those moments with her forever."

He leaned in closer now, holding his breath briefly before letting his nose graze against hers.

It felt good. Too good. 

"But..." he murmured, knowing he couldn't do what he'd wanted to do ever since they met. 

"We can't..." she finished. 

"Not if we want to be partners," he sighed. "I lost it before because I saw you in that dress and my thoughts weren't very G rated."

"I figured."

"Then they went from that to imagining those disgusting cretins touching you and hurting you. Then I realised that as long as we're partners this isn't going to be okay because my overwhelming priority is always going to be your safety and not the case. You are my partner and my equal, I'm just a jealous, angry idiot it turns out."

"So, what exactly are you saying?"

"I'm saying if we agree to remain partners we need to take a step back until the case is over or we call it quits right now and then I can kiss you and possibly try out that theory you have about us being good in bed."

"Mmmm that's tempting," she grinned, rubbing her nose against his affectionately. "But we've come too far in this investigation to stop now. I, for one, would like to see these people go down and I know you want the same thing."

"Okay, but promise me that once it's all over we..."

"Check out that bed theory?" 

"Don't tease me, love," he growled. "Promise me that once it's all over we never work together again so we can live happily ever after?"

"I think that could be arranged."

_**Monday, 3:45pm** _

"I now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss the bride." The guests erupted in cheers as the happy couple sealed their union with a kiss. It wasn't their first and most certainly wouldn't be their last but it had certainly been a long time in the making, two years in fact.

Their investigation finally ended with multiple convictions for drug trafficking and murder. Shortly after, the Bureau offered Klaus a permanent position. He accepted just as long as he and Caroline never worked together. 

Their kisses came to an eventual end much to the relief of best man Kol standing nearby. "It's about time, we have to eat after this."

"Who said you can't get married on a Monday?" Klaus joked, placing stray kisses along Caroline's temple, nose and finally her lips.

"Pretty sure I did," Maid-of-Honour Katherine replied. 

"Best day of the week," Caroline agreed as they made their way back down the aisle.

It was a private joke during the wedding planning given just about everyone had expressed the same concern. Klaus and Caroline, however, were undeterred given they'd met on a Monday and most of the significant events in their relationship had occurred then too. 

What started out as a bad day actually ended up okay. Who said Mondays were bad?


End file.
